Dear Mr. Glowacki:
Thank you for contacting my office with your concerns about Medicare. I appreciate hearing your views on this important health issue.
Medicare is one of the most successful and trusted programs ever enacted by Congress. It brings good health care to millions of older Americans, and I'm proud to have been in the Senate when Medicare was passed in 1965. I was a strong proponent of Medicare then, and I've worked to strengthen and improve the program ever since.
One of the most important changes came in 2005, when Congress finally added prescription drug coverage to Medicare. While not as far reaching as I would have liked, it was a significant step in ensuring that older Americans can afford the life-saving medications they need. One of my top priorities in Congress is to strengthen Medicare's prescription drug program in ways that provide greater assistance to patients, such as by enabling the government to use Medicare's purchasing power to reduce the costs of drug.
Improving the prescription drug program is just a first step. I will continue to work to protect Medicare, assure its financial stability, and improve its coverage and implementation, so that older Americans have the best possible access to the quality health care they need and deserve.
Thank you again for contacting me, and please know that I will do all I can to see that Medicare continues to be an effective and trusted program for our seniors.